The History of Winchester and His Firearms Essay Example

the number of people killed by Winchester rifles, and who constructed a mansion with rooms of thirteen throughout. Oliver Fisher Winchester was a patentee of various firearms and mechanisms that were supplied by John Moses Browning, who was America's foremost gun inventor. Browning built stronger mechanisms for several lever-action rifles such as Model 1886, Model 1892, Model 1894, and Model 1895 that allowed them to shoot stronger cartridges. Despite being pioneers of the firearms industry, the two men never met in person.The year 1880 saw the death of Winchester, followed by his son in 1881, meaning they did not live to witness Borrowing's designs that would revolutionize the Winchester original Winchester rifles. A salesman for Winchester sent a high-quality and powerful single-shot lever-action rifle that was being produced in Utah by a company called Browning Brothers to Thomas Gray Bennett, Winchester's son-in-law, who was the vice-president and general manager at the time. Bennett was so amazed by the innovative rifle that he traveled to Utah to meet John Browning, ultimately purchasing the rifle's rights. The rifle went on to become known as the Winchester Model 1885 High Wall and Low Wall single-shot, being produced in more than 30 calibers. Winchester also went on to introduce its first single-shot shotgun, which was a 20-gauge. Nannette, Winchester's daughter, later made a deal with Browning to have first rights to any firearm mechanism that Browning or his brothers created. Due to the success of their lever-action repeating rifle design, Browning sold the patent rights to his 1884 repeater, which eventually became known as the Model 1886 Manchester repeating rifle.The Model 1886 became more popular than its predecessor thanks

to its ability to be chambered in larger, more powerful calibers ranging from the .33 Manchester centerline to the .50-110 Express, with the standard caliber being the .45-70. The government's use of the .45-70-inch caliber contributed significantly to its popularity. The Model 1887 and 1901 firearms featured a fancy "WAR Co." (Winchester Repeating Arms Company) monogram on the left side. Though these models were immensely popular, they were later replaced by the Manchester Model 1897, the first pump-action shotgun that was also invented by John Browning. Renowned for its sturdy construction, the original Winchester rifle allowed the rifleman to fire several shots before reloading, earning it the name "repeating rifle". The manufacturing of the Model 1866 started in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1867, and Winchester Repeating Arms Company moved to New Haven in 1871. The Company also produced and licensed to the U.S Government the MI Carbine, which was used as a standard .30 caliber weapon by Allied forces in World War II. According to Curt Gentry's book co-authored by Browning's oldest son John, "This was the beginning of a creative rampage unmatched in the history of firearms development." The Model 1887 was not as popular with hunters, but it gave an advantage to the bad guys of the west.The Model 1887 shotgun had a magazine capacity of six shots, which was four more than the popular double barrel shotgun. This "six shooter" was produced in both 10-gauge and 12-gauge black powder versions for fourteen years, resulting in just under 65,000 units being made. The standard barrel lengths for this gun were available. The Enchanter's lever-action model was very popular in the Old West, with both

good and bad guys using it. The Denver and ROI Grander Railroad even used it to protect messengers. The Model 1887 Ninth, with serial number 36549, was the most famous of all the guns of the Old West. This 10-gauge shotgun had a saw-off or cut-down barrel and was used by Wells Fargo guard Jeff Milton in February 1900 to kill the infamous Three-Fingered Jack, leader of the Stiles-Allover gang. Oliver Winchester made significant contributions to the gun making industry, including his role in early Winchester rifle production and founding the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. However, without John Browning, Winchester would not have produced as many rifles and shotguns over the years.